Aussies counting gains despite imperfect win: Mooney

After a mixed introduction to St Vincent that saw moments of brilliance matched with others Australia might rather forget, Beth Mooney says there is plenty to draw upon as they reset for Saturday's second game.

Mooney was the star of Australia's batting innings, hitting a 55-ball 79 as she appeared the only batter to find rhythm on the Arnos Vale Stadium surface.

In a curious innings that saw Australia struggling at 2-57 at the midway point of their innings, Mooney alongside Ellyse Perry flipped the switch dramatically following the drinks break, piling on 84 runs from the next seven overs.

Once the pair were dismissed, the runs dried up, with Australia adding just 23 from the final three.

Reflecting on the innings, Mooney said it had been tough to get started, and while perhaps the escalation could have come earlier, she was satisfied with the result.

"I thought when the ball was a bit newer, it was probably a little bit harder," she said. 

"It was skidding on a little bit more and probably challenged us a lot down the ground. 

"At the drinks break, we came together and spoke about what our options were to each of the bowlers, and then where we were going to get our boundaries and ... it was nice to get the momentum back in the innings that way.

"Ideally, you'd like to get off to a pretty quick start in T20 cricket. 

"But sometimes the conditions don't allow that, and you really have to adjust as you go and I thought we did that really well at the 10th over.

"But perhaps moving forward, we can maybe get it right a little bit earlier … but these things happen, and we're pretty happy with that result."

While Australia would no doubt prefer to be a well-oiled machine when it comes to building an innings, that adaptability will be critical in a few months' time at the T20 World Cup in England, where they will be confronted with unfamiliar venues in Leeds and Manchester in particular.

Their fielding innings was similarly mixed, with Alana King's brilliant return to the T20I format, which saw the leg-spinner capture 3-14, sullied by six dropped catches.

"She's got a lot of energy King, and she's great around the group," Mooney said. 

"I thought she executed really well, bowled to the conditions ... there's a fair breeze out here too and it was nice to see her reap the rewards tonight.

"(Dropped catches) can be a little bit contagious, no one means to do it. 

"We're human, and sometimes these things happen – (it's our) first time playing at this venue and lights are always a little bit different everywhere you go. 

"So there'll be some disappointed players in there with the catches that went down, but at the end of the day, they didn't cost us."

The match was also an important milestone for new captain Sophie Molineux, who returned from a back injury to lead Australia on Thursday.

She did not bowl – which was expected, given she had not been bowling in the nets at training – but with the World Cup looming, selectors made the unorthodox call to essentially play the 28-year-old as a specialist captain, in order to settle into the new role.

"She's stepped into the role seamlessly, and got a lot of respect and rapport within the group," Mooney said of Molineux. 

"To see her out there tonight making some decisions, it felt at times that they were getting on top of us, even though they were only going at about six, six and a half an over and I thought she stayed nice, calm and composed, made some great decisions tactically, with the ball and with the field as well. 

"For us heading into a T20 World Cup, and her new on the scene in that role leading the group, I think it's really important for her to be out there, and, you know, with the right people around her to help her as well."

Qantas tour of the West Indies 2026

First T20I: Australia won by 43 runs

Second T20I: March 22, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 21, 6:30pm local)

Third T20I: March 24, Arnos Vale, St Vincent, 9:30am AEDT (March 23, 6:30pm local

First ODI: March 28, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 27, 2pm local)

Second ODI: March 30, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (March 29, 2pm local)

Third ODI: April 3, Warner Park, St Kitts, 5am AEDT (April 2, 2pm local)

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Eboni Brathwaite, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Shawnisha Hector, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor

Australia squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham, Tahlia Wilson

All matches to be broadcast on ESPN via Disney+ only